Cayetano says House will ‘definitely’ tackle bills on ABS-CBN franchise, vows fair hearings

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday said that the bills seeking to renew the franchise of ABS-CBN Corporation will be tackled at the House of Representatives, and vowed that they will receive "fair" hearings.

This was after the same measure did not make significant progress in the 17th Congress.

At least six measures have so far been filed at the House aiming to grant ABS-CBN Corporation a franchise to construct, install, establish, operate and maintain broadcasting stations in the Philippines for another 25 years.

Cayetano said the House may start hearing these measures before the end of the year.

"Definitely we'll have hearings kasi may mga issues na kailangang i-resolve. But like any other hearing, obligasyon ng Congress, one, to be fair; patas na hearing," he said.

"Number two, [we have] to bring those real issues and to give the other side the opportunity to respond and to see kung sino ang tama. Kung mali yung nag-a-accuse sa issue, then no problem. Kung tama, ano ang resolusyon nun?" he added.

Cayetano said he recognizes the crucial role that media plays in the society, especially in helping expose corruption and misdemeanors committed by government officials.

"Isipin mo kapag nawala ang media, e di lahat ng abuso sa ating bansa ay lalabas," he said.

"So there are issues that we have to tackle, and first and foremost is the freedom of the press," he added.

The original franchise granted to ABS-CBN Corporation is set to expire on March 30, 2020, or only about five months from now.

But while a measure has been filed in the previous Congress to extend the network's franchise, it remained pending with the House Committee on Legislative Franchise since November 16, 2016 until it closed in June this year.

GMA News Online had reached out to House franchise panel chair Franz Alvarez to clarify the matter but he did not respond to the request for comment.

President Rodrigo Duterte has on many occasions threatened to block the broadcast network's franchise renewal.

This was after it supposedly did not air a political advertisement that was already paid for during Duterte's presidential bid in the 2016 elections.

Duterte has also said he was willing to enter into a compromise deal with ABS-CBN Corporation if the company promotes his bid for a shift to a federal form of government. — BM, GMA News